Archive for the ‘Gretsch Events’ Category

Three Gretsch Generations Celebrate at The Country Music Hall of Fame® & Museum

by Fred Gretsch

The Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame® & Museum will run through June of 2012. The museum is located in Nashville. Photo by Donn Jones Photography.

Three Generations of the Gretsch Family attended the opening ceremonies. From left, Will Gretsch, company president Fred W. Gretsch, and Fred Gretsch Jr. Photo by Donn Jones Photography.

This past August 10 was a special day for me. I was honored to be asked to speak at the opening ceremonies for the Country Music Hall of Fame® & Museum’s new exhibition honoring guitar great Chet Atkins. And I was extremely proud to be joined not only by my wife Dinah, but also by my son Fred Gretsch Jr. and grandson Will. So I was pleased to be able to say that I was speaking on behalf of six generations of the Gretsch family, three of which were present at the event.

Within the Gretsch family, we consider “enriching lives through participation in music” to be a core mission. So we’re especially pleased that this wonderful tribute to Chet features elements of the Country Music Hall of Fame® & Museum’s School and Family Educational Programs. These include a Teachers’ Guide and an Exhibit Family Guide, both of which are made available free of charge. These publications are designed to help school classes and families alike get the most educational value from their visit to the exhibition.

As a guitar manufacturer, Gretsch is proud of its long association with Chet Atkins. We’re honored to be the title sponsor for the Country Music Hall of Fame’s tribute to Chet, and we share the Hall’s commitment to ensuring that his unrivaled legacy will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.

For more information on the Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player exhibition, go to countrymusichalloffame.org. For more information on Gretsch, go to gretsch.com.

Gretsch drum great Stanton Moore recently completed a whirlwind clinic/performance tour of Australia, where he delighted drummers with his New Orleans-flavored funky style. Stanton’s appearances were part of the Drumscene Live Australia Tour 2011, sponsored by Drumtek, the country’s largest percussion retailer.

From August 14 through August 21 Stanton and his tour mates crossed the continent, entertaining drummers in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, and Adelaide. They finished up at the 2011 edition of Australia’s Ultimate Drummers Weekend & Drum Expo in Melbourne, where Stanton conducted master classes on Saturday the 20th and closed the show on Sunday the 21st.

As a native son of New Orleans, Stanton is especially connected to that city, its culture, and its collaborative spirit. Inspired by a thriving music scene that includes such greats as Professor Longhair, Doctor John, and The Meters, Stanton is now regularly mentioned amongst these Big Easy mainstays.

In the early ’90s, Stanton helped found the New Orleans-based essential funk band Galactic. Their first album, 1996’s widely acclaimed Coolin’ Off, led to intense touring over the next ten years. Six additional albums later, Galactic continues to amass a worldwide audience.

In 1998 Stanton launched his solo career, aided by guitar virtuoso Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Skerik. The group’s All Kooked Out! release evolved into another project, leading to the first Garage a Trois release, Mysteryfunk (1999). In 2000 the trio was joined by percussionist Mike Dillon and has since released three more albums: Emphasizer in 2003, Outre Mer in 2005, and Power Patriot in 2009.

Stanton is also highly regarded as a clinician and educator. His Groove Alchemy book/DVD/CD package has been hailed by drummers and teachers alike, and was named best educational book and DVD in the 2011 Modern Drummer Readers Poll.

Gretsch Company President Speaks at Opening of Country Music Hall of Fame’s Exhibit Honoring Guitar Great

This past August 10 saw the opening reception for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s new exhibit, Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player. The star-studded gala hosted many luminaries from the guitar world, including Steve Wariner, Duane Eddy, and Paul Yandell.

Fred & Dinah Gretsch. Fred spoke to reception attendees on behalf of six generations of the Gretsch family. Photo by Donn Jones Photography.

An equally important figure in attendance was Fred Gretsch, fourth-generation Gretsch Company president. Along with his wife (and Gretsch CFO) Dinah, his son Fred Jr., and grandson Will. Fred was on hand to salute the museum’s unique tribute to one of America’s genuine musical giants. The Gretsch Company is the major sponsor of the exhibit, which opened to the public on August 12 and will run through June of 2012.

Fred’s remarks to the audience during the opening ceremonies offered a combination of personal history and heartfelt admiration. Speaking “on behalf of six generations of the Gretsch family, three generations of which are here this evening,” Fred expressed the family’s pleasure at being involved with the new exhibit. “We can think of no better way to honor Chet’s memory,” Fred continued, “than to illustrate his accomplishments in such an entertaining and educational fashion.”

In outlining Chet Atkins’ achievements, Fred stated, “Few musicians have single-handedly defined a musical genre by virtue of their unparalleled instrumental technique. Fewer still have gone on to transcend time, style, and genre to forever alter the course of popular music. Chet Atkins is one of those few. Along with his profound influence on the modern electric guitar and those who play it, Chet was the architect of ‘The Nashville Sound,’ a new and distinctive approach to country music that vastly expanded its appeal around the world.”

Fred & Dinah Gretsch at the Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player exhibition, for which Gretsch is the title sponsor.

With an obvious sense of personal pride, Fred explained that the Gretsch Family shares a special connection to Chet. “My uncle, Fred Gretsch Jr, first signed Chet as a Gretsch guitar artist in 1954. Over his long association with the company, Chet was instrumental in the creation of the 6120 Nashville, Country Gentleman, and Tennessean signature guitars. All three are bestsellers still today, but the Country Gentleman is particularly revered by guitarists—ironically because of its use by another guitar great: George Harrison. The legendary Beatle was a tremendous admirer of Chet, of his music, and of the guitars he designed. Check out those famous clips of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show 1964, and you’ll see George playing his Chet Atkins Signature Country Gentleman guitar.”

Fred concluded by saying, “The Gretsch Company is proud of its long friendship with Chet Atkins, and our family cherishes the special relationship that we had with such a fine individual. Today, we are honored to be the title sponsor for this terrific exhibition. We share the Country Music Hall of Fame’s commitment to ensuring that Chet’s unrivaled legacy will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.”

A very special Exhibition Opening Reception took place Wednesday evening, August 10, at The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. Approximately 200 enthusiastic guests were warmly welcomed by museum director Kyle Young and treated to a memorable musical performance by world-class guitar-slinger Steve Wariner, who, in 1997, received official “C.G.P.” status from Chet Atkins. Special remarks were also made by Fred Gretsch, fourth generation Gretsch Company president, about Chet Atkins and his long-time association with the Gretsch family and company. At the conclusion of the program, guests were given the opportunity to take an exclusive advance tour of the Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player exhibition which officially opens to the public on Friday, August 12.

Fred & Dinah Gretsch. Photo by Donn Jones Photography

During the exhibition opening weekend, the public will be able to enjoy an exhibit introduction and talk by a Museum curator; a panel discussion featuring Ray Stevens, Steve Wariner, and Billy Edd Wheeler and illustrated with photos, film footage, and recordings from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive; film screenings; and much more.

This amazing cameo exhibition, made possible through the support of the Gretsch Company with additional support by the Great American Country Television Network, pays tribute to Chet’s legendary versatility and vision and is scheduled to run through June 11, 2012. The exhibition will be accompanied by an ongoing series of programs throughout its duration.

For additional exhibition information, visit The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s website.

Additional photos from the reception:

Steve Wariner Interviewed by Local Media

Fred Gretsch, Duane Eddy, Ken Kramer

Ken Kramer, Fred Gretsch, and Jimmie Webster's Son Raey

Fred Gretsch, Duane Eddy, and Members of Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles

With the help of The Gretsch Foundation’s Guitar Art Program, musician-focused nonprofit Nuçi’s Space (www.nuci.org) presented its inaugural “Guitar Art Show and Music Memorabilia Auction” in Athens, Georgia earlier this year. The unique event raised $8,000 for the musicians’ support and resource center.

Nuçi’s Space is named in memory of Nuçi Phillips, a talented musician and student at the University of Georgia who committed suicide in 1996 after a long battle with depression. The organization’s mission is to prevent such tragedies by providing obstacle-free treatment for musicians suffering from depression and other psychological disorders, as well as to promote the emotional, physical, and professional well-being of musicians. Since opening in 2000, Nuçi’s Space has provided direct financial assistance for mental health treatment to over 1,000 musicians.

Guitar Art by Chris Gholson

The idea for the auction event was first conceived nearly four years ago when The Gretsch Foundation’s Guitar Art Program awarded Nuçi’s Space four small acoustic guitars, three full-size acoustic guitars, and a beginner-level drumset.

“Athens is the perfect home for this type of event,” says Nuçi’s Space executive director Bob Sleppy. “The music and arts scenes are so intertwined as to be nearly indistinguishable from one another. Almost every musician is an artist, and every artist is a musician. And although it took us several years to get this show together, the collection of instruments and music memorabilia we had available for auction was very impressive.”

The Guitar Art Show and Auction was an unforgettable night, filled with great music and art. Musicians Kyshona Armstrong and the Artie Ball Swing Band performed for an appreciative crowd throughout the evening. Featured “Gretsch Guitar Art” artists included Lou Kregel, Chris Bilheimer, Chris Wyrick, Chris Gholson, John Gholson, Jamie Calkin, Wes Freed, Jason McFarland, Lamar Wood, Jeff Hannan, and Wilma Pittard. Music memorabilia included items autographed by the B-52s, Kenny Rogers, Drive-By Truckers, Colt Ford, Green Day, R.E.M., Counting Crows, Kris Kristofferson, and Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (from the film Crazy Heart).

Guitar Art by Wes Freed

Since the Guitar Art program began nine years ago, Gretsch has donated over 1,000 guitars that have raised more than $400,000 in support of worthwhile programs and projects. For more information on how to apply for this donor program or to see other examples of Gretsch Guitar Art projects, visit www.guitarart.org.

The fourth annual Banjo Assembly Workshop presented by the Savannah Folk Music Society ended with a happy group of participants walking out the garden gate with good-looking and good-playing banjos in their hands. The event, which took place on June 18 on the grounds of the Ships of the Sea Museum in Savannah, Georgia, drew 27 enthusiastic participants this year. The workshop focused on the construction of real, playable banjos by amateur banjo enthusiasts. Kits, tools, and instruction were provided by the Savannah Folk Music Society and the Ships of the Sea Museum.

Workshop participants spent an intense day learning how to create instruments for themselves using banjo parts donated by the Gretsch Foundation, the charitable arm of the Gretsch family, as well as strings donated by LaBella Strings. Fred and Dinah Gretsch—owners of the Pooler, Georgia-based Gretsch Company—are long-time supporters of the Savannah Folk Music Society.

As usual, the Gretsch Company and the Gretsch Foundation were pleased to be a part of this unique workshop for the benefit of Savannah area musical enthusiasts.

For more information on the Savannah Folk Music Society visit www.savannahfolk.org . For more information on the Gretsch Foundation and the Gretsch Company, visit www.gretsch.com.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will pay tribute to one of country music’s most versatile and visionary artists, Chet Atkins, with Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, a biographical exhibit opening Friday, August 12, 2011, for a 10-month run in the Museum’s East Gallery. The exhibition, which is made possible through the generous support of the Gretsch Company with additional support provided by Great American Country Television Network, will run through June 11, 2012.

Opening weekend festivities will include an exhibit introduction and talk by a Museum curator; a panel discussion featuring Ray Stevens, Steve Wariner and Billy Edd Wheeler and illustrated with photos, film footage and recordings from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive; a film screening and more. (A detailed schedule of grand opening activities is below.)

The exhibit will be accompanied by a richly detailed, lavishly illustrated, 96-page companion book, also titled Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player. Published by the Museum’s Country Music Foundation Press, the volume will include essays by noted Atkins authorities Walter Carter (on Chet and his guitars), Michael Cochran (on Chet’s life and career), Rich Kienzle (on Chet’s development and prowess as a guitarist) and Museum Senior Historian John Rumble (on Chet’s work as a producer and record label executive). Also included are tributes to Chet from Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, and Steve Wariner, recipients of Chet’s honorary C.G.P. designation; from Mark Pritcher, president of the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society; and from Fred W. Gretsch, president of the Gretsch Company. The book will be available in the Museum Store and at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

“Chet Atkins was country music’s ultimate Renaissance man, one of the greatest instrumentalists in American music history and a true musical savant,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “His signature guitar licks shaped recordings by scores of legendary artists, including the Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley and Kitty Wells, and his playing influenced future rock gods Duane Eddy, George Harrison, Mark Knopfler and many more. As a producer, Chet was an architect of the ‘Nashville Sound’; he was also a brilliant record executive who signed and propelled a generation of country artists – including Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton and Charley Pride – to fame. Chet’s guiding hand shaped much of the bedrock of country music, and we’re honored to tell his story, one we know will resonate with country fans old and new.

“We are grateful to Chet’s family and friends for sharing their mementos and memories and allowing us to tell this extraordinary tale.”

Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player,
Made Possible Through the Generous Support of the Gretsch Company

Born Chester Burton Atkins on June 20, 1924, in Luttrell, Tennessee, Chet Atkins became one of the most respected musicians and producers in American music history. His unparalleled achievements were acknowledged formally with his 1973 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Atkins died on June 30, 2001, and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year.

Employing a wealth of instruments, vintage photos, personal possessions and correspondence, career-spanning audio and video and more, Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player will explore the life and impact of this incomparable musician, producer and executive.

Nearly 20 of Atkins’ guitars will be featured in the exhibit, including the following:

* Chet’s first guitar, a Sears Silvertone he acquired at age 11 and upon which he taught himself to play

* Chet’s 1938 Gibson L-10; the guitar was custom-designed for its original owner, Les Paul, and handed over to Atkins in 1945

* A 1948 Gibson L-7 guitar used by Atkins in the recording studio, and onstage with Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, in the late 1940s

* A recording contract with Bullet Recording Co., dated July 20, 1946, stating that for Atkins’ recording of “Pickin’ the Blues,” the artist would receive a “one-cent royalty for all records listed to sell at a retail price of more than 50 cents.”

* Atkins’ 1954 guitar instruction manual, Chet Atkins Guitar Method

* A meticulous re-construction of the work-bench and shelves in Chet’s basement home studio, including tools, meters and personal effects including photos of Jerry Reed, Ray Stevens and others

* Atkins’ framed C.G.P. (“Certified Guitar Player”) diploma, which he bestowed on himself in 1997

Sunday, August 14, 1:00 p.m.
Guitar Demonstration: Ben Hall
The 2005 International Thumbstyle Guitar Champion, Ben Hall has performed or recorded with Charlie Louvin, Jeannie Seely and others. Hall will demonstrate the thumb-pick style of Chet Atkins and Merle Travis.

Sunday, August 14, 2:00 p.m.
Film Screening: Chet Atkins: A Life in Music (2000)

Sunday, August 21, 1:00 p.m.
Guitar Demonstration with David Anderson.

Sunday, August 28, 1:00 p.m.
Instrument Demonstration: John Knowles, C.G.P
John Knowles, one of a handful of legatees upon whom Atkins bestowed the C.G.P. designation, demonstrates some of what he learned from Atkins.

Sunday, August 28, 2:00 p.m.
Film Screening: The Porter Wagoner Show with special guest Chet Atkins (1974, 1975)

Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player will be accompanied by an ongoing series of programs throughout the exhibit’s run.

These programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and by an agreement between the Tennessee Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the Foundation also operates CMF Records, the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print®.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

“Years from now, after I’m gone, someone will listen to what I’ve done and know I was here…they’ll hear my guitars speaking for me.” – Chet Atkins

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME ® AND MUSEUM TO HONOR “MISTER GUITAR” CHET ATKINS WITH BIOGRAPHICAL EXHIBIT

Sideman. Studio musician. Performer. Recording Artist. Producer. Record Executive. In an industry known for multi-talented individuals, perhaps no one has achieved such a vast and varied resume as the inimitable Chet Atkins. The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will pay tribute to this versatile and visionary artist with the cameo exhibition Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, which opens in the Museum’s East Gallery on August 12, 2011, and runs through June 2012. The exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Gretsch Company. Additional support will be provided by Great American Country Television Network.

“Chet Atkins was country music’s ultimate Renaissance man, one of the greatest instrumentalists in American music history and a true musical savant,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “His signature guitar licks shaped recordings by scores of legendary artists, including the Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley and Kitty Wells, and his playing influenced future rock gods Duane Eddy, George Harrison, Mark Knopfler and many more. As a producer, Chet was an architect of the ‘Nashville Sound’; he was also a brilliant record executive who signed and propelled a generation of country artists – including Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton and Charley Pride – to fame. Chet’s guiding hand shaped much of the bedrock of country music, and we’re honored to tell his story, one we know will resonate with country fans old and new.

“We’re also honored to have the Gretsch Company as this exhibition’s title sponsor,” Young continued. “Gretsch is an important part of American music history, and enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Chet.”

“My uncle, Fred Gretsch Jr., first signed Chet as a Gretsch signature guitar artist in 1954,” said Fred W. Gretsch, president of the Gretsch Company. “Our company is proud of its long association with Chet,¬ and our family cherishes the special relationship that we shared with such a unique individual. Today, we’re proud to support this special exhibition by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. We share the Museum’s commitment to ensuring that Chet’s unrivaled legacy will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.”

Chester Burton Atkins was born on June 20, 1924, in Luttrell, Tennessee, a remote town nestled in the hills of Appalachia. He grew up in a musical family – his mother sang and played piano, and his father was an itinerant music teacher – and at the age of eight Atkins began to learn the guitar and fiddle. When Atkins’ parents divorced, his father relocated to Georgia, and his mother remarried. Young Chester, along with his brother, sister and stepfather, began playing regularly at square dances. In 1936, an asthma attack forced him to live with his father in Georgia, where the more favorable climate made it easier for him to breathe. While there, a teenaged Atkins heard Merle Travis on the radio; Travis’s thumb-and-finger picking style fascinated Atkins, who soon created his own thumb-and-two-finger variation.

After attending high school in Georgia, Atkins landed a job at WNOX in Knoxville, fiddling for singer Bill Carlisle and comic Archie Campbell. He soon became a featured player on the station’s popular daily barn dance show, as well. Over the next decade, Atkins worked as a musician for numerous artists and radio stations, including a memorable stint at KWTO in Springfield, Missouri. It was there that station official Si Siman gave him the nickname “Chet.” Siman, impressed with Atkins’ abilities, brought him to the attention of RCA Victor Records, and in 1947 the label’s Steve Sholes signed Atkins as a singer and guitarist. Chet’s initial RCA recordings were not hits, and he returned to WNOX in 1948, working first with Homer & Jethro and then joining Maybelle and the Carter Sisters as lead guitarist. He soon went back to KWTO, this time with the Carters.

When the Carters moved to Nashville in 1950 to become members of the Grand Ole Opry, Atkins joined them. With the help of his mentor, Steve Sholes, and music executive Fred Rose, Chet became one of Nashville’s “A-Team” session musicians, recording with Johnnie & Jack, Hank Williams and others. He also appeared on the Opry as a solo act and returned to making his own records; his first chart hit, a cover of the pop song “Mr. Sandman,” came in 1955, followed by a hit guitar duet with Hank Snow on “Silver Bell.” Soon after, fans began to refer to Atkins as “Mr. Guitar,” and Gretsch Guitars introduced a model bearing his name.

Throughout the 1950s, Atkins’ work relationship with the New York–based Sholes deepened; in 1952, Atkins began organizing sessions for Sholes, and shortly thereafter Sholes began trusting Atkins to produce sessions whenever Sholes’ schedule prevented his coming to Nashville. In 1955, Sholes made Atkins manager of RCA’s new Nashville studio, a space rented as needed from the Methodist Television Radio and Film Commission. Two years later, Sholes and Atkins convinced the label to commission its own office and studio in Nashville. The resulting building, known today as RCA Studio B, opened in November 1957, adding impetus to the growing Music Row area. Sholes installed Atkins as head of the label’s Nashville artist & repertoire operation, and ten years later made him a company vice president.

As rock & roll eroded country music’s record sales and threatened its viability, Atkins’ production skills came to the foreground. Atkins – along with Decca’s Owen Bradley, Columbia’s Don Law and Capitol’s Ken Nelson – began to craft recordings that would appeal to pop listeners as well as country fans. The style of these recordings, in which singers were backed by neutral rhythm sections and steel guitars, and fiddles were replaced by vocal choruses, came to be known as the “Nashville Sound.” Atkins mined gold from the new approach immediately, first producing Jim Reeves’ 1957 crossover hit “Four Walls” and, later that year, producing Don Gibson’s 1958 double-sided smash “Oh Lonesome Me” / “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Atkins assumed production of established stars, including Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves and Hank Snow, and produced hits by new stars including Bobby Bare, the Browns, Floyd Cramer, Skeeter Davis, Dottie West and many more.

During the 1960s, Atkins continued to record and perform: Always a jazz lover, he increasingly explored the genre in his performances and appeared at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival; he also played for President Kennedy the following year.

By the middle of the decade, Atkins was producing more than two dozen acts for RCA. During this time, he signed a cadre of now-legendary country artists, including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Jerry Reed and Connie Smith.

As the 1970s dawned, Atkins reduced his producing commitments and focused more on his own recordings and live performances. He embarked on a series of collaborative albums, working with Les Paul, Jerry Reed, Merle Travis, Doc Watson and others. However, he still found time to facilitate additions to the RCA roster, including Ronnie Milsap, Ray Stevens and Steve Wariner.

Atkins’ virtuosity was undeniable, and his mantle quickly filled with the hardware to prove it. In 1973, Atkins was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He went on to earn 14 Grammy awards and nine Country Music Association awards during his career.

In 1982, Atkins relinquished his RCA executive role and left the label to record for Columbia in 1983. He also gave himself an honorary degree: Atkins christened himself a “Certified Guitar Player” and began signing his name as “Chet Atkins, C.G.P.” Atkins would later bestow this “degree” on several legatees, including Jerry Reed and Steve Wariner.

For the remainder of his life, Atkins continued to record and play; he collaborated on albums with George Benson, Suzy Bogguss, Mark Knopfler, Mark O’Connor and others, exploring and expanding the boundaries of country, jazz and pop. In 1993, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Atkins died on June 30, 2001. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year.

Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player will be accompanied by an ongoing series of programs throughout the exhibit’s duration.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.